“Her parents were so proud of this life they’d created, but she didn’t get their enthusiasm for new beginnings. It was like starting a bunch of books and never finishing any of them.”

Almost from the beginning, the reader is made aware of Emily’s longing for stability. In this quote, she is on her way to yet another new beginning. The analogy to books is an apt one since Emily loves books, and also foreshadows Emily’s insistence on completing the Poe puzzle.

“What bothered her, she realized as she covertly watched those girls, was that she would never have that circle of friendship. Thanks to her family’s traveling lifestyle, she would always be the outsider.”

Emily feels her alienation most keenly at school. She not only longs for continuity in her home life but also continuity in peer relationships that last for a lifetime. She wants to create shared memories, but her family’s lifestyle destroys all chance of that, or so she thinks.

“The puzzles and riddles were fun, and she devoured the books, but the actual seeking was what brought her back to this game again and again.”

Emily describes her fascination with the scavenger game as if she were a predator on the hunt. The thrill of the chase motivates her. Ironically, she chases books the way her parents chase new living experiences. Emily fails to see the parallel.